Redemption
by EternalofXoleriog
Summary: The man known as "The Misfit" is still roaming free in the society, though now with a reformed mind, brought upon by his previous actions. What will happen when he meets with Thomas Shiftlet? A crossover between two of Flannery O'Connor's works. Oneshot.


A/N: Ok, this was made as a project for my English class. This is a crossover between "A good man is hard to find" and "The life you save may be your own", both published by Flannery O'Connor. The flashback scenes are also taken in part from the books, and I don't clam any ownership between these. Anyways, for whomever it may concern, enjoy this oneshot.

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Two months have passed since that incident. Two months are gone since she died. The misfit still was thinking about what he did with the elderly woman. He was thinking the way she died…by his hands.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" The woman reached out and touched the misfit on the shoulder. He sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest. Then he put his gun down on the ground and took off his glasses and began to clean them. _

_Hiram and Bobby Lee returned from the woods and stood over the ditch, looking down at the grandmother who half sat and half lay in a puddle of blood with her legs crossed under her like a child's and her face smiling up at the cloudless sky. Her clothes fluttering in the wind, as if telling everyone who saw them that even in death, she was still a lady.  
_

_End of Flashback_

* * *

He still didn't know why he reacted like that. It was kind of unnerving. She was the first woman to ever have shown some kind of "love" to him; and he still shot her.

"Boys, I'mma go away for some time" He said to his travelling companions. "I need time to…plan where to go next"

Hiram and Bobby Lee saw through that lie. Hiram then suddenly said "Ya still thinkin' 'bout that incident? I say you just have to think carefully. What would've happened if we let her live?"

The misfit said nothing and walked away. The parrot shirt from his latest victim was flapping in the wind. Then, the silence broke.

"…I don't want you to speak 'bout that again. Or do I have to remind you that there's no pleasure in the pain of others?" His eyes showed emptiness. After that, he left them behind.

"(Sigh)…Whatever" Bobby Lee said to his companion.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the woods, there was a man with a stump for his hand. He looked like a mixture of a homeless man, and someone of the middle class, due to his uncared appearance. The man had just finished getting away from the rain, demonstrated by the droplets on the car he got off.

This man was sitting on a tree stump on a thinking pose. He was still guilty about the fact that he left her alone…he left her wife alone at the side of the road.

"Why lord" he said, looking at the skies "Why haven't you washed the slime from this earth? I left her alone…nay, I left her with someone to take care of her. She'll be in good hands"

Suddenly, relief crossed his face, replacing guiltiness, as he remembered how he left her.

_

* * *

Flashback_

_"Give it to her when she wakes up," Mr. Shiftlet said. "I'll pay for it now."_

_The boy bent over her and stared at the long pink-gold hair and the half-shut sleeping eyes. Then he looked up and stared at Mr. Shiftlet. "She looks like an angel of Gawd," he murmured._

_"Hitch-hiker," Mr. Shiftlet explained. "I can't wait. I got to make Tuscaloosa."_

_The boy bent over again and very carefully touched his finger to a strand of the golden hair and Mr. Shiftlet left._

_End Flashback_

* * *

"I left her in the hands of that boy" he assured himself. "Yeah, he will take care of her". Somehow, the words didn't calm him down as he planned. In fact, they only increased the guilt.

Then, he stood up, and walked off into the woods, looking to forget everything he's done, and to occupy his mind with something else.

* * *

The misfit was walking, looking at the ground. He was still thinking about the discussion he had with his partners. He sighed. Then, he bumped into something, and made the misfit fall. He cursed for not paying attention. That something he bumped into was making a sound he barely recognized.

"Ow" The other figure said "Sorry about that, I didn't see where I was going". Then, that figure extended a hand. The misfit noted it was his only hand. Then, he took the hand, and the figure helped him up.

"Say, you look familiar…haven't I seen you somewhere 'round here?" Asked the shady figure, after helping him up.

The misfit cursed his luck. He didn't want anyone recognizing him yet. Then, he got an idea on how to answer "Not really, I'm from East Tennessee".

"Oh, sorry then. So, are you here on vacation? I must say that the beach is a long way from here" The other man tried to crack a joke…failing miserably. He seemed to want a short talk. In fact, it looked like he needed someone to talk to. He looked troubled.

"…Yes, I'm going to the beach". He then made a pause, deciding how to continue talking to this figure. He then just decided blunt approach would be best "Say, you look troubled. What's happened to you?"

"…Personal matters, and same could be said about you."He replied "Besides, I don't want to talk about myself to strangers."

Thinking a name on the spot to introduce himself, the misfit came up with something "My name is Bubba Buford".

"My name is Thomas Shiftlet, though how can you tell that's my true name? For that matter, my name could also be Benjamin Blue. What do we know of other people?" He made an analysis about the lies a person tells. "I believe that takes care of the formalities, and we can talk about what's bothering us. You first, since you were of the idea".

The misfit then made a story about how he recently lost his mother, and how it hurt him deeply. He told how "The misfit murdered his mother while he was away looking for directions" transforming how he killed the woman, and made himself seen as the victim to not arise suspicions.

The other man, now known as Mr. Shiftlet, then told his story. How he worked on the house, how he met with Lucynell Crater, the mother, and the daughter. Of how he married the daughter of his employer, and the worst mistake he could've done, how he left her behind.

Hearing that, the misfit was angry. 'How could he just leave her! Just like that!' He thought with disgust. Then, he told the other man "If you're truly sorry about leaving her behind, then you will go back for her"

"Yes, but she is in good hands" Said Mr. Shiftlet.

The misfit snapped at the response. He was reminded of what he'd done two months before, and couldn't accept that this man would leave that woman alone. Then, he took out his gun, and pointed it to the head of Mr. Shiftlet.

"Mr. Shiftlet, I tried to be reasonable with you, but you leave me no choice. You WILL go for her if you value your life." Anger evident in his voice. Mr. Shiftlet was with a fearful face.

"Now I know who you are! You're The Misfit!"

"And if you value your life ya will do as I say" Mr. Shiftlet just nodded. His voice left him after that.

"Ya'll go to the car, and go back to where you left her behind. And to make sure you don't do anything funny, I'll go with you." Mr. Shiftlet nodded once again, and led The misfit back to the car, where they left.

The pair was unaware of someone watching them from the bushes. They were Bobby Lee and Hiram. They were debating whether to follow the misfit or not.

"So…Hiram, ya think we should follow them?" asked Bobby Lee.

"I don't think so…I know for sure boss will get in trouble…"And with that, Hiram and Bobby Lee left, never to be seen again.


End file.
